First lap on new Vallejo ferry facility completed with bid award

A new Vallejo ferry facility on Mare Island, which would generate jobs and save money on fuel, has gotten a bit closer to landing.

The Water Emergency Transportation Agency board Thursday approved the facility's first leg with the awarding of a $1.4 million construction contract to Weston Solutions Inc.

The Vallejo Ferry Maintenance and Operations Facility includes a new maintenance, operations and administration facility, plus berthing space, passenger loading facilities, and space for storing gasoline.

"This has been planned for a long period of time. It was been recognized by the city before takeover of the system of July of last year," said Tony Intintoli, former mayor who serves on the WETA board of directors.

"It's a completely new maintenance facility with a new building. It will have new docking facilities for ferries to be repaired and for maintenance of the boats, too," Intintoli said.

Estimated to cost about $20 million, the new facility will replace the city's current one and also provide more space and ability to store several weeks' worth of gasoline, a factor which will help save money, Intintoli said.

The Mare Island facility is also expected to repair and service ferries should the Bay Area ferry fleet expand into the North Bay, Intintoli said.

Weston Solutions was picked for the project, primarily because it is already familiar with Mare Island and its environmental issues, according to WETA staff. The firm's work will involve preparing construction documents, overseeing and awarding bids, and working with contractors.

"This is the first major step going forward with this project," WETA spokesman Ernest Sanchez said.

Project funding will come from Proposition 1B state bonds that voters approved in 2006, and from state transportation sources.

Actual construction on the two-phase project won't likely occur until the latter part of this year, WETA planner/analyst Chad Mason said.

The first phase will consist primarily of rehabilitating Mare Island's Building 165 into a maintenance facility with emergency operations and office staff, plus space to store up to 48,000 gallons of gasoline, Mason said.

Four new berthing spots and other facilities to service boats from the water will be built in the second phase, Mason said.

At Vallejo's existing facility, there is only the ability to store one day's worth of fuel for its ferry fleet, an arrangement that requires expensive daily deliveries.

The new ferry maintenance facility is part of a state-mandated plan manage all Bay Area ferries through the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA).